First launched 30 years ago, NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system has done yeoman work for the space programs of the US and other countries. The European Data Relay Satellite (EDRS) represents advancement by the European Space Agency (ESA) to improve the bandwidth and reduce latency in their science missions around the Earth. These programs are government driven and operated; and they are funded by the respective taxpayers. Another area of development in space is the small science platform, known as the “Cubesat,” for which viable communications are still somewhat out of reach. We wish to learn how these relay services could be addressed by a commercial venture akin to those that serve earth-based mobile users on the seas and in the air. There are some early initiatives in this area, but we have yet to see a private-sector undertaking comparable to either TDRS or EDRS. Our panel will consider the technical strategies and operating concepts for a commercial space-based relay of the coming decade. What could this look like; and how will it make the operator(s) make money yet save on investment by NASA and others?